The Settings app is a built-in app in Windows 11 designed to help you access and change various Windows 11 settings. The Settings app is the central place to access all settings and options, from personalization to users to Windows Update.
Unlike before, the Settings app in Windows 11 22H2 and later versions includes a new Home page. When you open the Settings app, the Home page is opened instead of the previously default System category.
The Settings app’s Home page displays your PC’s name, Wi-Fi status, most recently accessed and common settings, OneDrive storage information, Bluetooth devices, and personalization settings.
Some Windows 11 PC users might find the Settings Home page helpful, but most users find it unnecessary, as they cannot customize it to add their favorite settings. Besides, the Home page often takes more than a few seconds to load, which irritates most users.
While Windows 11’s Settings does not include an option to remove the Home page from the Settings app, we can use the Windows Registry or Group Policy to remove the Home page from the Settings app.
Once the Home page is removed, the Settings app will open the System category page by default.
Method 1 of 2
Use Group Policy to remove the Home page from Settings in Windows 11
Please note that the Home edition of Windows 11 does not include the Group Policy Editor. So, if running the Home edition, please refer to the directions in Method 2.
Step 1: Search for Edit Group Policy with the Start menu or taskbar search and then open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: In the left pane, navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel.
Step 3: Now, on the right side, look for the Settings Page Visibility policy and then double-click on it to open its properties.
Step 4: Select the Enabled radio button. In the Options field, type hide:home and then click the Apply button. Click OK. That’s it!
The Settings app should not display the Home page now. If it is still showing the Home page, please reboot your PC once.
To restore the Home page again, double-click the Settings Page Visibility policy and then select the Disabled radio button before clicking the Apply button.
Method 2 of 2
Remove the Home page from the Settings app in Windows 11 through the Windows Registry
This method can be used to remove the Home page from the Settings app on editions of Windows 11.
NOTE: If you are new to editing the Registry, we recommend manually creating a system restore point before following the directions below so that you can restore your Windows 11 if something goes terribly wrong.
Step 1: Type Regedit in the Start or taskbar search and then press the Enter key.
Click the Yes button when you get the User Account Control prompt.
Step 2: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
NOTE: If the Explorer key is absent, in the left pane, right-click the Policies key, click New, and then click Key. Name the new key as Explorer.
Step 4: Now, click the Explorer key.
Step 5: On the right side, perform a right-click on an empty spot, click New, and then click String Value, and then name it SettingsPageVisibility.
Step 6: Finally, double-click the SettingsPageVisibility, type hide:home in the Value data field, and then click the OK button. That’s it!
You may close the Registry Editor now.
When you want to restore the Home page again, right-click the SettingsPageVisibility and then click the Delete option.
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